Today is the shortest day – and the longest night – of the year in the northern hemisphere. For many, it simply marks the first day of winter, but the winter solstice is celebrated across cultures.

Many people believe that the winter solstice is time to slow down and reflect on the year that’s ending and to imagine the new year ahead. Reflection implies looking inward….allowing yourself time to think….letting your mind wander.

It’s a mere two weeks until the end of the year and companies are scrambling to complete dozens of projects before 2017 draws to a close. Leaders are challenged to help their teams stay focused and motivated while myriad distractions compete for attention.

And that’s just at work! Outside the office, December mania is in full force: holiday parties, shopping for gifts, traffic jams, impossible crowds of people. When you layer on all of this, life can be crazy and distracting.

Leaders can turn around the worst situations with a little alchemy. No, it isn’t always easy to do. But when circumstances are challenging and you feel tugged into the abyss of negativity, you have a choice. You can either go towards the abyss or reverse the direction.

Effective leaders know how to course-correct, that is, to turn troublesome situations into productive and satisfying scenarios. Not only do they avoid the defeatist mentality; they consciously reverse the situation and make it as successful as possible.

I’ve observed leaders who walk by everyone from the receptionist to junior level staff to other leaders without acknowledging them. I’m not talking about engaging in conversation, but what about “good morning” or a smile and a nod?

When I’ve raised this issue, I’ve received some astonishing responses. One client was baffled about why he needed to greet one of his direct reports with “Good morning” (or, better still, “Good morning, how was your weekend?”) on Monday.